Method and machine for making fiber board of variable thickness



June 22, 1926. 1,589,513

A. L. CLAPP METHOD AND MACHINE FOR MAKING FIBER BOARD OF VARIABLETHICKNESS Filed March '7 1924 Patented June 22, 1926.

UNITED STATES 1,589,513 PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT L. CLAPP, OF DANVERS, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE FLINTKOTECOMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETT S, A CORPORATION 01 MASSACHUSETTS.

METHOD AND MACHINE FOR MAKING FIBER BOARD OF VARIABLE THICKNESS.

Application filed March 7, 1924. Serial No. 697,487.

Roofing material as now commonly made from felted fibrous material, suchas rag felt saturated with waterproofing material as asphalt, with orwithout a surfacing of granular material, as crushed slate, is ofsubstantially uniform thickness. Where such material is laid inoverlapping courses it must be somewhat flexible in order to lie tighttothe roof, the upper edge of each course engaging the roof. foundationand then bending up and over the upper edge of the underlying course and'thenfiat against its upper face. In order that substantially rigidroofing elements, such for example as wood shingles, may be laid inoverlapping courses and lie flat, it is necessary to form them taperingin thickness, the thin edges being uppermost forming no sudden risesover which the units of the overlying course must pass and then be bentdown to lie fiat against the upper faces of the underlying units. Asordinarily constructed a paper machine is incapable of forming sheetmaterial tapered in thickness and hence heretofore it has been necessarywhere roofing material is to beformed on a paper machine to form thismaterial flexible. Flexible material, however, has the disadvantage thatthe portion exposed to the weather is liable to be bent upwardly,permitting rain to drive up under and impairing its weatherproofingcapabilities.

This invention, therefore, provides a method and machine by which arelatively stifl waterproof board, such for example, as that describedand claimed in my application, Serial No. 662,225, filed September 12,1923 for shingle material and method of manufacture, may be formedtapered in thickness on a wet paper machine so that it is well adaptedfor weatherproofing purposes and may be laid flat in the same mannor asordinary tapered wood shingles This may be accomplished by removingportions of the pulp variable in'longitudinal extent across the width ofthe Web of the pulp picked up by the take-up roll so that the amount ofpulp deposited on the makeup roll is variable axially to produce thdesired taper in the finished board.

For a more complete understanding of this invention reference may be hadto the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 ilustratesdiagrammatically in plan a wet paper machine designed to form the boardin the manner above set forth.

Figure 1" illustrates in an exaggerated degree the .varying crosssection of the pulp as deposited on the make up roll.

Figure 2 represents-a diagrammatic side elevation of the same.

Figure 3 is a section through the make up roll and a portion of the endcouch roll a over which the blanket of the paper machine passes, theserolls being constructed to form the board tapered.

Figure 4 represents the board as taken from the make up roll out throughat its portions of greatest and least thickness preparatory to' beingcut crosswise into shingle units.

Referring first to Figures 1 and 2, at 1 is indicated diagrammaticallythe vat of. a paper machine in which revolves the usual cylinder mold 2,over which passes the blanket or felt 3 on which the pulp picked up bythe mold 2 is deposited, the .blanket passing over the rear couch roll 4'so that the felted fiber deposited on the blanket from the cylindermold lies on the upper side of the blanket in the form of a continuousweb of substantially uniform thickness in the usual manner. Provisionis-then made by which portions of the pul are removed from the blanketperiodica y, these portions extending throughout a portion of the widthof the web onl and being spaced at intervals lengthwise tliereof Wherethe web is unbroken, therefore, it will be evident that all the pulppicked up is deposited on the make up roll and in zones laterally of theweb where some of the pulp has been removed, less pulp' will bedeposited on the make up roll so that the board will be thinner at thesezones than where the web is uninterrupted as shown in Figure 1.

Means for removing the pulp from the blanket in the desired zones maycomprise rollers, such as shown at 6 and 7 in Figures 1 and 2. As shownthe roller 6 comprises four spaced portions 8 of comparatively largediameter jolned by intermediate portions 9 of smaller diameter. Thisroll is positioned above the blanket which may be supported beneath by aroller of uniform diameter as at 10.0ver which it passes. The roller 6is mounted so that it may be permitted to drop against the web of pulptraveling therebeneath onthe blanket, the portions 8 thereof contactingwith the pulp which is picked up.-

thereon'inspaced zones each ofa width of the axial dimension of thecorresponding portion 8, and of alongtli depending 'on the time duringwhich the rollcr'6 is allowed to be in depressed position. When the;roller 6 is-raised, the portions 8 are moved from ficontact with thepulp which thereupon continues to move .inan uninterrupted ,web towardthe make up roll. As shown the roller ,6 is journaled at the ends of apair of arms follower 1 7 at'the lower end of'a push rod 18 having itsupper-end connected to one of -the arms 12-.' The cam is so formed as-topermit theroller 6 to be dropped into con- 'tact with the web during thedesired time larged diameter 20 oorresponding't'o the.

intervals to remove the pulp from the web in spaced zones laterally-thercof'in definite lengths, the roll being raised between these timeintervals-to permit the web to' pass uninterrupted. As herein shown theroller 6 is permitted to engage the web-to remove portions thereofduring substantially onethird of the time theweb is passing therebeneath sothat substantially one-third of the material is removed. fromthe web in zones corresponding to the positions of the portions-8of theroller. I

Asherein' shown also the roller 7 is provided with a pair of spacedportions of en spaces between the twoouterportions 8 of the roller- 6.These portions 20 are allowed to descend into contact with the'web tore-.

move' ulp therefrom for which purpose the roller is shown as carried byarms 21 which maybe raised and permitted to fall by means of a cam 22 ina similar manner to the-roll 6; This'c'am,however, permits the portions20 to engage the-surface ot the web over longer time intervals than theportions 8 are permitted to engage it, whereupon more'of the pulp isremoved in Zones spaced laterally of the web corres onding to the po--sitions of the portions 20 tiian corresponding to the positions of theportions 8... As'herein shown substantially two-thirds of the pulp isremoved from the web in the lateral zones corresponding, to thepositions-of the portions 20.

r The "web ofpulp havingv portions of variable extent spaced laterallythereof removed by the action of the rollers 6 and 7 is-'then carriedalong by the blanket 3 which passes over the end couch roll 25 overwhich is positioned the make up roll 26 on to which the pulp in the webis wound. being entirely-removed thereby from the blanket. The make uproll is shown in section inF-igure 3 and referring to this figure, itwill be seen that ma pie it is formed tapering, its outer ends 27 andits central portion 28"being ofsomewhat smaller diameter than theintermediate portions 2%),- the roll-tapering between these portions.The end couch roll, however, is formed cylindrical so that the blanketpasses thereove'r in theusual manner without being stretched or'otherwise distorted, the variations laterally ofth'e web for receivingthe pulp being formed entirely on the makeup roll. As the make up rollis pressed down against the couch roll'under considerable pressure, thepulp deposited thereon in layers ofvariable thickness aXially-isreduccdto a somewhat gradual taper instead of the stepped formation in whichit-is deposited as indicated in Figure 1, As there shownthe pulpiisdeposited on-the make .up -roll in zones of different thicknesscorresponding to positions of the portions 8 and -20 of the rollers 6and 7 and the portions of theweb which are continuous at either end ofthe end portions 8 and between the central portions 8'where-bot-hrollers 7 failto remove any of the pulp. a p

The board is removed from the make up rollin the usual manner and is cutthrough longitudinally oftbe web to form sections tapered in thicknessas shown'in'Figure 4. These may be subjected to pressure. to con-'Having'thus described an embodiment of:

this invention it should be evident thatvarious changes and"modifications might be '95 dense the material into firm rigid taperedboards which may cut through as along the *dotted lines 30 shown inFigure 3 to form made therein, as for-example, more 'rollers' forremoving the 'pulp mightbe employed ;to

render the pulp deposited on the make up roll of moregradual variablethickness in adjacent vzones and various other changes and modificationsmight suggest themselves to those skilled in. the art without departingfrom the spirit or soo' e of this invention as defined by theappen edclaims.

I claim: v 1. The, method of making a board of var-' iable thicknesswhichcomprises, removing from the. blanket .of the machinedefiniteportions of the web" of pulp deposited-thereon, and collectingthe remainder o'f'the pulp deposited on .-the

blanket on a make up roll.

2. The method of making a paper. board of variable thickness on awet'paper machine, which comprises removing portions ofthe web ofpulpdcposited on-the blanket of the machine, theamount removed beingprogressively Variable-across the width-0f the blanket, and collectingthe remainder of the pulpso deposited on a make uproll'.

on. a wet paper machine "periodically ort-ions of variable len formedlengthwise to the desir tapered contour. Y

4.- The method of making a aper board on a wet paper machine, whic comrises removin portions of the web of pulp epositedon te blanket of amachine, the amount removed being progressively variable across thewidth oi the blanket, and collecting the.

remainder of the pulp so deposited on a, make up roll, having itsperiphery formed lengthwise to the desired tapered contour, removing thepulp from the make up rollin board 'form and subjecting the board topressure.

' 5. The method of forming afiber board of variable thickness whichcomprisesforming a web of fibrous pulp, removing therefrom periodicallyortions of variable lengthwise extent latera -y of the. web.

6. The method of forming a fiberboard of variable thickness whichcomprises forming a web of fibrous pulp, removingtherefrom hwise extentlen wise of the web, rolling. the remaining 'portions'into a cylinderhaving a length correspondin 4 to the width of the web, cutting thecyi'nder lengthwise, and -unrolli-ng it to form the board. v

7. The method of forming afiber board tapering in thickness, whichcomprises forming the fiber in sheetfform', periodlcally removingportions of the sheet of rogressively variable lengthwise extentwrdthwise of the sheet, and forming the -remain ng rtions of the sheetinto a board, the'thlckgst portions thereof corres nding to'thoseportions widthwise of t e' sheet having the least fiber removed.

8. The method of forming'a fiberboard tapering-in thickness, whichcomprises forming the fiber in sheet .form periodically removingportions of the sheet of rogressively variable lengthwise extentwldthwise of the sheet and forming the remaining portions of the sheetinto a board, the thickest portions thereof corresponding to thoseportlons widthwise of the sheet havingthe least fiber removed andsubjecting the board to pressure to render the paper uniform.

9. A' pa er machine comprising a vat, a

ick-up re 1 therein, a blanket to receive the ayer of pulp icked up bythe pick-up roll, a make up rol to reoeive'the pulp from the blanket,and means for periodically removing'portions of the pulp in zoneslaterally of the blanket, whereby the pulp deposited on the make up rollvaries in thlckness. lengthwise thereof.

.10. A paper, machine comprising a vat, a

ick-up roll therein, a blanket to receive the ayer of pulp picked up bythe pick-up roll, a make up roll to receive the pul from the blanket,and rollers constructe and arranged to be moved into contact with thepulpon saidblanket to remove it therefrom in laterally spaced zones andto definite .extent, whereby the pulp deposited on the make up rollvaries in thickness lengthwise thereof.

11. A paper-machine comprising a vat, a

pick-up roll therein, a blanket for receiving a layer of from thepick-up roll, a make up 1-01 orreceiving the ulp from the blanket andforming it to t e desired thickness, and means. for causing the pulp tobe unequally s read on theblanket Iaterallythereof in a vance ofthe makeup roll,

whereby it is formed of variable caliper on.

the make up roll lengthwise thereof.

12. A pa or machinecomprising avart, a pick-up r0 therein, a blanket forreceiving a layer of I ulp from the pick-up roll, a make up rol forreceiving the pulp from the blanket and forming it to the desiredthickness, and means for causing the pulp to be unequally s read on theblanket. laterally thereof in a vance of the make up roll, whereby it isformed of variable caliper on the make up roll lengthwise thereof, thediameter of said makeup roll bein variable lengthwise complemental totheesired variations in caliper of the board.

13. In a paper machine, a blanket, a lulp roll of uniform diameter overwhich the blanket of the machine passes, and a make up roll of variablediameter. lengthwisethereof arran d to receive pul non-uniformlydeposited across the wi th of said blanket.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my.

signature.

ALBERT L. CLAPP.

